The Best Gift
by KaiserinAstraia
Summary: Finally, the war was won - right at Christmas time. King Mickey hosts a big victory celebration on Christmas Eve. Everyone is there, but Sora is disappointed; he wanted to spend Christmas with his friends, and, well, tell a certain keyblade master his feelings before the holiday came... Featuring themed Christmas trees, mistletoe, Santa, Christmas gifts, KH3 predictions, and FLUFF.


**The Best Gift**

* * *

The chatter was a dull roar across the Audience Chamber-turned-ballroom in Disney Castle, glasses clinking together like the bells in so many Christmas carols – perfect for the season. Sora held a glass of eggnog, or that's what he thought it was, next to a brilliantly decorated Christmas tree. It was one of many placed in between the columns of the room, each themed for a world that was in attendance to the party. Unsurprisingly, the brunet stood next to one that felt like home, popsicle-stick rafts and yellow star-shaped ornaments splayed all across the branches; it even smelled right, the Island's unique, pervasive beach aroma reaching his nose no matter how long he stood near it.

"There you are, Sora," a familiar, calm and collected voice called to him. Sora jolted in place at the sound of his name, the paopu fruit ornament he'd been inspecting almost toppling out of his splayed hand. As if the bauble were incriminating, he scrambled to return it to the tree, cheeks flaring with each second that passed with him fidgeting with it.

"H-heh, yep, here I am!" Sora practically squeaked, sighing in exasperation that, after a third failed attempt to put the star-fruit on the tree, he finally dropped it. Right before it hit the floor, some magic lifted it and put it on it's branch flawlessly. Of course, the tree was enchanted. Sora glared at it before he whirled around, willing a goofy smile to his face.

But Riku erased the grin from his lips, his jaw unable to lift itself closed as the silveret leisurely walked over to him. He looked so _different_ ; the storm so frequently raging in his aquamarine eyes was gone, replaced with a calm contentment, shining like the snow in Christmas Town. His hair was trimmed back to what it was a year prior, and Sora's heart ached at the sight so reminiscent of the child he grew up with on their tiny islands. Yet, despite the second revival of Riku's childhood hairstyle, his hard jawline and sharp nose made Sora _too_ aware of the growth he'd been through; that they had all been through.

Even after all the Curas and Curagas Sora had personally used on Riku, he still possessed new, small battle scars. Sora had memorized every tiny dent, every minuscule scar visible – a small tick under his left eye from a fight in the Pride Lands, a slash through his right eyebrow where the hair no longer grew from an adventure in Beast's Castle, and many others Sora was (lamentably) not present for. His hands itched to trace them again, take inventory – except without the excuse to check an injury, he had no reason to do so other than the pounding in his heart.

Then, of course, Sora's ocean eyes check-marked Riku's attire; they mirrored his own, a black suit with coattails reminiscent of musical conductor, silver lining the seams, and a white rose in his jacket pocket with a Mickey-head shaped-pin next to it. Another glance confirmed an identical set of cufflinks. Sora's suit was the same, but gold-bordered, and he tried oh-so-very hard to suppress the oven-like warmth blooming in his chest that they _matched_. It was the Riku he saw most days over their last year of missions, and yet, his relaxed shoulders, hands in his pant pockets, lips no longer chapped, and hair without even a speck of dirt in it, Sora was reminded that Riku was a sleeping prince. Maybe at one point he knew his own elegance, but the silveret had clearly forgotten. The only benefit was that Sora could stare longer.

Even now, as he strolled over, he didn't seem to notice Sora's fixation on his entire being.

Riku never noticed when Sora stared, or if he did, he never mentioned it. In their shared room in Merlin's Tower, sometimes Sora would gaze for what felt like hours at the slumbering silveret in the bed across the room – when he was there. He'd admire, but also remind himself that, should anything happen, he was right there. Just two beautiful, utterable syllables away and Riku would be at his side. Sora thought that was all he needed, that it could tide him over till Riku appeared again, but…

" _Sora," a young Xehanort said, voice echoing across the town square of Traverse Town, "Sora…"_

 _The brunet kept summoning his keyblade over and over, but as soon as it would appear, it would dissipate in a mocking flurry of light. He growled in frustration, and Xehanort laughed. He strolled oh, so casually toward him. The panic grew like a slam against piano keys with each step._

" _You're asleep, Sora." And he smiled, a sickening grin that reminded Sora just how much time he'd lost to sleep, how much the Darkness_ _ **loves**_ _to keep him lost to the prison of subconsciousness._

 _The corners of his vision were encroaching in a black fog. "No, no, this is not happening," Sora whispered to himself. "This isn't real."_

" _Sora…"_

 _He grit his teeth. Xehanort was an arm's length away, those haunting yellow eyes hungry for Sora's body to possess. "_ _ **This isn't real!**_ _"_

" _Sora!"_

 _Finally his eyes flung open, pupils blown from fear and lack of light. His chest rose and fell like he was just sprinting, the sheets below him balled in his clenched hand. Above him stared a concerned Riku, one hand still on his shoulder where he shook Sora awake._

" _R-riku, you're back!" Sora exclaimed, attempting to make his voice even. He sat up quickly, his tank falling back over his chest from where it had scrunched up in his struggled slumber._

" _Yeah," Riku whispered, eyes still bright and sharp in the dark. "You're still having those dreams? Sora, you should have told me. I almost dived in." The chiding was surprisingly comforting, and he wouldn't have minded Riku dream-diving in either._

" _Y-you're busy, all your missions… I didn't want to hold you back." Riku's eyes narrowed with furrowing brows, and Sora scrambled to explain more, "B-besides, I'm a master now, right? I shouldn't–"_

" _Your friends are your power, Sora," Riku quoted, head tilting but eyes swinging to the side, "Just because we're masters doesn't mean we are invincible. Let… let me help you."_

 _Sora held his breath at the request. His heart pounded in his ears, but the fear at the dream was gone, replaced with a relatively new monster. "Then… will you stay here, just… for tonight?" Was it too much to ask? Was it weird? Even though they shared a room, normally only one of them was in it at one time, their schedules and tasks lining up less and less._

 _Riku lifted the hand that was on Sora's shoulder, and the skin there mourned the loss. The silveret replied, "S-sure, I'll get a chai–" He had begun to back away, but Sora grabbed Riku's hand before he could think better of it. The younger keyblade master forgot his strength and tugged, jerking Riku back to fall next to Sora's knees on the bed._

" _Uhm, I just mean, like, our sleepovers, back at home…" Sora couldn't bear to look up at his reaction. He knew that his own face was likely cherry red, and to both his amazement and horror Sora was still gripping Riku's hand._

 _They hadn't had sleepovers since they were children, but when they did, they shared the bed, because sleeping bags were lame and they could continue their make-believe under the covers with a flashlight. Then, these nights were frequent and the primary way Sora and Riku made their tiny islands bigger with outlandish lore, creatures, heroes and tales of worlds far away. Those days were long gone, and yet Sora still hoped._

 _This time, he wouldn't mind if they made the worlds a little smaller for the night, either._

"… _Oh," Riku said dumbly. He scratched the back of his head, presumably in debate. "Sure, why not? I have to get up in the morning, though."_

 _Sora released a nervous giggle, his chest that much lighter. "M-me too. If you can't sleep though, you don't have to stay." He could hardly believe Riku agreed._

 _Using his far-superior magical powers, Riku's shoes disappeared from his feet along with his outer jacket, floating to rest on his own bed. Simultaneously, Sora lifted the covers for the silveret to join like it was the most natural thing in the world. With a small grunt, Riku slid on his side facing Sora. The brunet giggled._

" _You're like the King, making things float and fold themselves like that."_

 _Riku chuckled. "It's practical magic. I could teach you."_

 _Sora was going to reply, except he realized suddenly that he was still gripping his Moogle plush, now visible on his side. Feeling juvenile, he tried to surreptitiously slide it behind him. After all, heroes didn't sleep with toys like children._

 _But unfortunately for him, he was anything but sneaky. Riku snorted, eyes twinkling. "You still sleep with that?" Sora swore under his breath, caught. It was a Christmas present from Riku years ago, wearing a shell necklace crafted by Kairi._

" _Uh,_ _ **yeah**_ _, you and Kairi got it for me," Sora retorted with faux bravado, pausing his relocation of the snuggle buddy. He dared the silveret to tease him about it with his eyes. Riku didn't reply, but he was smiling. Sora put the Moogle back to the crook of his arm, where it belonged. He stuck his tongue out when Riku snickered appreciatively._

 _It was a tight fit for both of them to sleep there, but Riku's warmth, so close, was like cozying to a lit fireplace on a cold night. Sora released a sigh of relief; he couldn't have nightmares with_ _ **Riku**_ _here._

 _The brunet felt his body relax almost immediately when he settled. His eyes were so heavy. Sora tried to keep them open in vain, wanting to ask Riku how his mission went today. Instead, he heard Riku chuckle, adjusting slightly in his spot. The brunet weakly scooted over to give him more room, but Riku told him, "You're good." Sora shrugged, breath evening out._

" _Good night, Sora."_

"' _Night." He didn't wake up once._

They were in the last months of preparing for the final battle when they shared the bed that first night. Their schedules only got stranger, but the other bed in the room became… unused. Sora slept better knowing Riku had recently slept there, and looked forward to nights where they were both there to share. Their small, peaceful sleepovers were unspoken – but finally, the nightmares went away. Sora liked to think that the dark rings under Riku's eyes got lighter after that, too.

"You goof," Riku suddenly said, lips quirked in an affectionate and strange smirk, "You have eggnog on your lip." The brunet flinched again in surprise, remembering where he was. When Sora couldn't get it together enough to register the embarrassment, Riku lifted a hand, covered in a black glove, and wiped across the eggnog-mustached lip.

The electricity that shot through Sora's spine was enough to bring him out of his stupor. "H-hey, Riku, you'll get it on your gloves!" He knew his face flamed up, but there was nothing he could do; Riku was too close, looking _fantastic_ and so _calm_ and–

Riku shrugged. "They're black, it's fine. What are you doing, standing over here by yourself?"

Sora shook his head. Leave it to Riku to totally simplify it. He scrambled around his brain to give some excuse as to why he stood alone next to his world-Christmas-tree, instead of the middle of the massive, Disney Castle Christmas party; why Sora, the happy-go-lucky hero, was silently fiddling with ornaments, instead of chatting with Princesses of Heart, fellow keyblade wielders, and world-monarchs, and accepting congratulations that _they won_. The victory was still fresh, but there was only so many 'thank-you's Sora could take.

"You know," Sora said, throwing his hands behind his head in his feigned confidence, "waiting for them to serve cake."

That earned him a snort. "The food is on the opposite side, Sora. You are the worst liar."

Brunet eyebrows furrowed, hands dropping off the back of his head. "I-it is? Oh, well, then let's go over there–"

He started to walk away, partially out of panic, but Riku's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "The cake's not out yet anyway." Ocean eyes looked back and into Riku's aqua eyes, and he stopped, retreating to stand next to his fellow keyblade master and best friend.

"Right," Sora said simply, wanting to blush again, but unsure why. His heart wouldn't ease it's pace, despite Sora's pleas with the thing. They were quiet for a moment, but then the brunet remembered. "Merry Christmas Eve, Riku," he said shyly. He wished he could have said it at home, on their islands, away from all these important faces and the reality of their destinies as saviors of the worlds.

Still, the silveret smiled _brilliantly_ , showing teeth, forcing Sora to consider if Riku had ever touched the Darkness at all. "Merry Christmas, Sora. I wish…" Sora listened eagerly, and then he concluded after a pause, "we were home."

"I was thinking the same thing," he replied gratefully. They shared another glance, and the warmth that was in his chest reached his toes.

"Hence, you standing by our tree," Riku concluded, and Sora merely nodded. Riku always saw through him, except for _one_ thing. Sora gulped, wondering if he had the courage to–

"What are you two doing, standing all the way over here?" a sweet, feminine voice called to the keyblade masters. Jointly they looked over with instant easy smiles at their approaching Princess of Heart. Sora was floored at her appearance, too; her deep blue eyes sparkled even brighter with all the other Lights in such close proximity to her, her smile unbridled, relaxed, and blissful. It was the first he'd seen in years. Her dress was a familiar soft, bubblegum pink, lace and delicate creases of fabric dipping heart-shaped around her chest and blooming out again at her hips. The skirt of the dress was exactly what he'd expect from royalty; an upside-down bell in shape, sweeping layers of pretty cloth, some shimmering gold, some ending in lace.

Riku replied first, but avoided the redhead's question. "Have you seen our tree yet, Kai?"

She nodded happily, her heels clacking with an audible pep in her step. Her red locks were put up in a myriad of delicate braids and interwoven with little flowers. They weren't very festive, and Sora realized it must have been Princess (Queen?) Rapunzel's doing. It suited her, as most things did.

"Oh, Merry Christmas Eve, Kairi!" Sora said, the tension in his chest relaxing at the completion of their trio.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas Eve," Riku agreed.

"Merry Christmas!" Kairi sang, beaming, "Oh, it's so hard to be mad at you two. But really, what are you guys doing over here? People are looking for you!"

Sora giggled sheepishly, striking his casual hands-behind-the-head pose again. "Looking to see if we have presents under our tree. There's one for you, too, Kairi," Sora said. It wasn't _why_ he was there, but the presence of presents was true. Kairi's smile turned small and mischievous.

"Oh ho-hoo! I wonder if Santa will let us open them!" she cried with glee. She wiggled her fingers in front of her chest like a cartoon thief.

"Hey, no! It's only Christmas Eve, and he's standing, like, just over there!" Sora pointed, blocking the tree with his other arm outstretched. "You don't want to end up on the Naughty List, Kairi."

Her pout was too cute with her deep pink lip gloss. "But we won't be here tomorrow. So, he must mean to give them to us now!"

"Or, maybe at midnight," Riku added, "I don't think these kinds of parties only last an hour or two."

She considered his statement with a finger in her cheek. "Hmm, I think you're right. Dangit." Her life-long friends chuckled at her.

"You look nice, Kairi," Riku commented, waving a hand to gesture to her form.

She waved her hand over her face, cheeks blooming into a soft pink. Sora desperately tried to ignore the unpleasant twisting of his stomach. "Oh hush, you. And before you call me princess, I'll have you know that I have my keyblade attached to my leg under this _and_ the skirt is detachable."

Riku laughed, and Sora replied, "Gees, Kai, you're more prepared than even me. You do know we won, right?"

"Okay, but like, if you had been kidnapped by Lea, you'd be armed at all times too."

"Wow, can you not scream that across a room full of keyblade wielders, Kairi?" Lea suddenly interjected, showing up on her right.

She snickered. "Scared? I could kick your butt now anyway."

"And don't I know it," the former-Nobody said, "That's why, we should let the past stay the past, got it memorized?"

They laughed at the flamboyant redhead. "So, where's Roxas?" Riku asked, his grin wolfish.

Lea pouted. "Talking with the wayfinder trio."

"He really hit it off with Ventus, huh?" Kairi commented, voice momentarily far away. "I get more memories of him when I talk to him. I think we became friends, in Sora's heart."

"You make it sound like it was a party in there," Riku commented, elbowing Sora, who blushed at the contact.

"You'd know, Mr. Dream-eater," Axel retorted, and the silveret scowled, crossing his arms. Riku's embarrassment made Sora smile a little.

"Well, I'm glad you all enjoyed the stay, but my heart hotel is closed now, so," Sora added, sipping his eggnog. It wasn't cold anymore, but still enjoyable.

"Awwww," Kairi cooed, "but I haven't learned how to dream travel yet. Who will I practice on?"

"Someone _else_ ," Sora defended himself, "I've slept way, way, way, _way_ too much." Riku nodded a little too enthusiastically in agreement, and the brunet's smile softened remembering just how much the silveret did to ensure he slept in peace.

Kairi sighed, agreeing. "You're right. Well, look, I told Queen Elsa and Anna that'd hang out with them, so I have to go. But King Mickey was looking for you, Riku. And Sora, you should talk to Aqua. And Ephemer. And the princesses."

"That's so many people, Kai," Sora complained, exasperated. "That will take at least a week."

"Well, tough," she critiqued, but her eyes were sparkling affectionately.

"Yikes," Lea said, "I'm getting training flashbacks. We'd better listen to her." The two others nodded, and Kairi dipped her chin in acknowledgement. She twirled away and headed over to a congregation of dresses, each on a different princess.

Lea too began walking away with a wave, making a beeline toward Roxas. As soon as he was out of earshot, Riku sighed. Sora looked back at the silveret inquisitively. "I guess I should go, too." He didn't move from his spot, but Sora nodded, not moving either. He still desperately wanted to tell him, to ask, to get him alone before another night went by with a too full heart and too many questions.

"Hey Riku–"

"Yeah?"

"Uhm, later, I– uhm–"

"Coming, Sora?" Lea called back, and the brunet deflated.

Riku ruffled his chocolate brown spikes. "Tell me later."

Sora did his best to smile with sincerity. "Sure, catch you later, Riku."

* * *

"Where's Riku?" Ventus asked slyly, cupping a drink with his deep emerald gloved hands. Ventus's shirt was a matching dark green, his tie reminiscent of his Wayfinder trinket's shade. It seemed everyone was color-coordinated. It was most evident in his spot in between Sora and Aqua, who wore a deep, galaxy purple-blue dress every bit as intricate as Kairi's. On the other side of Aqua, Terra's suit was black with an earthy, copper toned shirt and cufflinks. It was clear the three belonged together – Sora was still smitten with the concept that so far, Riku is the only one who truly matched him.

"Earth to Sora~ Hey, Riku's looking for you," Ventus called. Sora blinked out of his spaced-out stare at the holly-strand covered ceiling, and immediately felt his cheeks warm. He lightly glared at the long-time resident of his heart. Roxas rolled his eyes on the other side of Sora, and Lea snickered.

"He's probably getting shown off," Aqua said, looking at Ventus affectionately. "Remember when Master Eraqus would parade us around at parties?" She glanced between Terra and Ventus. Terra shook his head, crossing his arms with a small smile.

Ventus laughed, "You mean, paraded you and Terra around!"

Terra nodded, then continued with a slight frown, "He'd always insist I show the keyblade to the aspiring wielders – the kids. Aqua was the one talking with the other masters." By the end, his shoulders slumped in a mope. Sora had to make an effort not to giggle.

She slapped his arm, her dark blue glove accentuating her strong, but slender hands. "That's not true! It's because you're… cool, and good at that sort of thing." Her eyes shined at the memory, and pride in her friend – and maybe because the reunion was still so raw and new. Sora knew that fragility well.

Ventus nodded over-eagerly, staring between his two friends with wide eyes and a wide smile. Sora felt the emotion like a wave; as though the blond were still sleeping in Sora's heart, Sora's eyes watered on the sides like his heart couldn't contain the swell that still felt shared between them. _Finally_ they could be together; _finally_ the darkness's control over their fates was extinguished.

"I'm so happy to have you guys back," Ventus gushed suddenly, handing his drink to Sora who took it automatically, before diving in for a hug with his other wayfinder friends. Aqua gasped in surprise but accepted it instantaneously, hooking her arm over Terra's shoulders to bring him in too. Sora tried, and failed, to sniffle quietly, and Roxas took the drink from him silently, more evidence of their still-strong connection.

Of course, Lea couldn't let the moment stand. "Aww, Roxy, are you crying?"

"Axe– Lea! I am not!" Roxas immediately protested, rubbing his eyes with his free forearm. This only served to make the skin around his eyes redder.

"It's okay, call me whatever," Lea said, expression soft as he ruffled Roxas's hair, "Didya cry in Sora's heart when I disappeared?"

"As if," Roxas scoffed, biting the inside of his cheek, but Sora and Ventus looked over at the redhead, and nodded. His smile curled like the Cheshire cat's grin, swooping down close to Roxas's face.

"Lying's bad for you, Roxy," his tone was prideful and husky. Roxas sputtered, but the redhead continued light-heartedly, "Hey, they're serving Sea Salt Ice-cream as the food from Twilight Town. Wanna get some?"

Defeated, Roxas sighed, "M-maybe. Will it get you to drop this?" He looked away from the close-up keyblade wielder, leaning away another centimeter every time Lea took the opportunity to lean in that same centimeter closer.

"Of course," Lea promised. "Cross my heart, hope to die." He even made the hand-motion over his deep-red button up, his black suit jacket draped over his arm.

Roxas turned to Sora, barely avoiding falling over. "We'll be back," the blond said, cheeks painted in a pink that would likely match Kairi's dress.

"Take your time," Sora said, using Riku's wolfish grin on his own face, and relished the victory. Roxas blushed redder, and scowled, snatching Lea's hand and stomping away. Ventus giggled after them.

"I wonder how long Roxas will keep that up," the look-alike said, tilting his head to Sora to indicate the question was for him.

Sora shrugged, still grinning, "I dunno, probably forever."

Ventus's star-pendant on his suit jacket gleamed when he crossed his arms, considering Sora's assessment. He concluded, "Lea's persistent, though. And you have _nowhere_ to talk."

The brunet didn't particularly like the blond's infinite set of ammunition against Sora's emotions, but he just shrugged again sheepishly. Luckily, Terra cut their conversation short.

"I think you were right, Aqua," Terra said, finally standing straight after being strong-armed into the trio-embrace, "Riku's surrounded."

Ventus giggled again triumphantly when Sora practically whirled in the direction of Terra's gaze. He almost regretted it; Riku was standing next to King Mickey and surrounded by Alice, Elsa, Merida, and several other _eligible_ monarchs. Even from this far away, Sora could tell that the silveret was overwhelmed – the chatter, the sheer number of warm bodies and interested eyes centered on him, King Mickey and his pride in him. And yet, Sora still felt a familiar constriction in his heart, like vines encroaching up and over a brick wall, suffocating and claustrophobic. He knew where this would go: one of them would ask him to dance, and Riku would be obliged to, and Sora would have to _watch_ –

"You know what Riku said, when he rescued me from the Realm of Darkness?" Aqua suddenly asked. Sora turned back, swallowing the tightness in his chest and forcing back his carefree smile.

Aqua continued, "I didn't have enough strength to help him get us both out, and, if I'm honest, I think I was about to give up." Her smile was sad, Terra solemn beside her.

"Aww, Aqua–" Ventus started, eyebrows furrowing in concern. Sora frowned too, but Aqua shushed Ven with a finger on her lips.

"But Riku wouldn't. He told me that _we_ had friends who would never give up on us, and that we just needed to call on the light of our friends to bring us home. He was talking about you, Sora," she said, and Sora was having to quell tears again, "and he was right. It's his and your light that made all this possible. So, thanks…" she pulled her friends into another side-hug, eyes glinting like the twinkle of Christmas lights, "from all of us."

Ventus tugged Sora into the group hug, and with a cracked, loud laugh, Sora joined willingly. Riku was an idiot, thinking he needed Sora's light; the silveret had enough for all of them, and yet had no idea. Maybe it was selfish, but suddenly Sora's mind was made up. He couldn't wait another moment.

Sora pulled away from the hug, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "You're going to tell him, right?" Ventus inquired, smile soft and blissful. Sora nodded with a silly smile. "Break a leg," the blond concluded.

"Thanks, Ven."

Sora's coattails flared around him from his spin, feet planting themselves straight ahead with the same conviction he felt before battle. Maybe it was Sora's innate presence, or that many in attendance had simply been watching him, but people side-stepped out of Sora's way as he went. He mumbled apologies and 'excuse me's even in his determination.

Riku was taking Queen Elsa's hand when Sora interjected, King Mickey exclaiming with glee at the brunet's arrival.

"Oh, hi, Sora!" the King chorused, his suit cartoonish with large, red buttons but still somehow regal.

Breathlessly, Sora explained to the group, "S-sorry to interrupt, but I need to steal Riku. Right now." He didn't miss the way Riku's hands dropped from Queen Elsa's instantaneously, immediately turning his attention to the fellow keyblade wielder. The brunet's chest raised a couple degrees.

"Is something wrong, Sora? You're outta breath!" the King asked. Sora smiled brightly, taking a deep intake of breath, and shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty. It'll be quick, I promise." It was a blatant lie, probably, maybe, _hopefully_.

Out of all those present, Riku looked the most confused. His gaze, bordering on concerned with his eyebrows furrowed but lips threatening to quirk a smile, reminded Sora of the time that they had a mission in Wonderland together. Of course, Sora had stopped for tea time, while Riku had run reconnaissance. Then, upon returning, he found Sora singing a _Very Merry Un-Birthday_ with five hats on, three tea cups in hand, dancing on the table with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. The silveret's expression was that same bewildered, " _what?_ " as it was now. He'd convinced Riku to stay, because participating in the world was part of the objective, and that easily became Sora's favorite mission. He rocked on his toes in excitement that he could still make Riku look like that, after everything.

Before the others could ask more questions, Sora grabbed Riku's hand. "Time to go!" he said, using his eyes like steel handcuffs.

Riku nodded, glancing to Queen Elsa. "Next time, Your Majesty."

"Don't worry about it," she said with a hand over her mouth to conceal her giggle. She glanced to her sister on the other side of her, who rolled her eyes like this wasn't the first time this had occurred. The Queen didn't seem upset, which relieved a little of the guilt that bubbled in Sora's stomach like soda.

With perhaps _too_ much glee, Sora dragged Riku off, and then realized after a few steps that he had no idea where they could go to be alone. He must have slowed down, because Riku gripped his hand a little tighter, chuckling, "Sora, where are we going?"

"Uhm," he said intelligently, scanning the room, "there!" He spotted a door leading out the ballroom off to the side. He had no idea what laid beyond it, but marched over, keeping his grip on Riku's hand steady as if he wouldn't ever let go. Sora swung open the large towering door and pulled them through. The door closed behind them, and the brunet could finally look around; he'd led them to a balcony, covered in snow, small green trees dusted in the sky's winter art on either side of the rounded space. Despite the decoration, it looked like they were the only ones who had found the room.

They were still holding hands. Sora let him go with pink cheeks, grateful for the temperature as a great scapegoat. But before he could stumble through whatever his brain came up with this very moment, Riku sighed happily. "Thanks, Sora. As usual, you saved me back there."

"I-I did?" Sora said, following Riku as he went to the balcony railing, an ornate concrete structure fitting for the grandeur of the Disney Castle. The silveret leaned against his elbows even in his suit, air coming out in cloudy wisps through his lips. Sora gulped; it was hard not to stare. The snow, still indecisive if it wanted to fall or not, meandered through the air, some landing on Riku's hair. If he knew other worlds could make him look this fantastic, Sora would have left Destiny Islands sooner.

The silveret chuckled reservedly. "Yeah, like, the King wanted me to dance with all these princesses and show them the keyblade." Sora nodded, and Riku sent him an amused glance, "I guess with _this_ one already claimed by a princess _someone_ has to entertain the others."

Sora forgot the cold as his skin went in flames, flinching back. "Claimed? N-no, that's–"

"Haha, sorry, just teasing." Riku looked away again, down at his hands. Sora's heart was having a difficult time beating; this was where the conversation always ended, at the coldest, deepest depths of the dark, uncaring sea.

But not this time; he would reach Riku no matter what. He steeled himself, and laid a hand on Riku's forearm, squeezing softly, "No, Riku, seriously. Not claimed. Like at all."

"Uhm, what?" Riku retorted, words a little quick.

Sora responded with the same haste. "I-I know everyone thinks Kairi and me – are like a thing? But we're not. Really, really not. And I want you to believe me, _especially_ you."

Riku turned to face him now, the arm that Sora held supporting Riku's side against the railing. He was frowning, eyes shifting shades of aqua. "Especially me? Sora, if you're worried that I still like her, I don't, you don't have to–"

Sora groaned, "Oh my god, Riku, it's not that either." He pulled his hand through his chocolate brown spikes in agitation; he knew he'd have to spell it out, which was the most terrifying task he could think of to date. Xemnas and Xehanort included.

Riku tilted his head, and Sora peeked through his fingers, speaking carefully. "Just… just hear me out, okay? And if you like, hate it, just stop me and we'll go back and pretend this never happened, okay?"

It was a coward's promise; there was no scenario where this conversation would leave them unchanged. But they couldn't stay the same either. Sora lowered his hand, and looked straight into Riku's eyes, those icy, _wonderful_ aquamarine orbs that simultaneously kept Sora grounded and sent him flying.

"Okay," Riku said, eyes leveling with his.

"I-I really wanted to like, spend Christmas with you. And I was going to ask, but then, y'know, everything happened at once and I slept for like two days, and then this _party_ thing got in the way… And now you're being forced to dance with random Princesses you met like, once, and… ugh, okay, let me start over." Sora wished he could melt into the floor.

Riku laughed, not in a haughty way, but rather like the universe were laughing at him instead. Sora tried again, voice trembling in nervousness, "A-aqua said that, when you saved her, y-you used my light to get home and I just… you don't even _need_ my light, because you shine w-way brighter, and I don't think you see it."

Riku's exhale was an exclamation and a scoff. Before Sora could continue his directionless rant, he said, somewhat blankly, "You're confessing to me."

Sora froze, air leaving his lungs. "Yes," was the intelligent response he came up with, the word leaving a thick residue in his throat like it might just glue shut forever. _Finally_ , Riku understood. And he wasn't pulling away. Sora was holding his breath, scared to even _hope_.

"To _me_ ," Riku repeated, incredulous.

Sora didn't need a mirror to know he was cherry red. "A-and what's so weird about that? You're my best friend, and you're amazing–"

Riku laughed again, a strangled sound of disbelief. "You've got this totally backwards."

"You don't believe me?" His hand tightened on Riku's forearm, and the silveret exhaled again, another misty bubble of air dissipating in the winter evening. The space between them had shortened, Sora realized with some shock. Riku's eyes were bright again, and wide. Sora just stared, another challenge.

"If I believe you, what happens then?"

"That is totally up to you. I'm confessing to you, remember," Sora said, his fear draining drop by drop with each millimeter Riku's smile grew.

"Okay, then look up." Riku was giving that strange smile again; almost a smirk, with teeth peeking, but so incredibly warm it was hard to listen to his command.

But he did. As if planted by fate itself, a hanging strand of holly crossed over the balcony, the center weighed down by a bundle of white berries – mistletoe. Sora's glance ended in a panic; was that there the whole time? What if Riku thought he did it on purpose? What if–

Riku was _so_ close, the air between them was warmer than the rest. Aqua eyes playfully glanced up at the mistletoe above them, then asked softly, "Can I?" Sora's roaring waves of thoughts stilled in a fantastic hush.

"Yeah," Sora responded with little more than half a breath. Surely the silveret could hear Sora's heartbeat, it was so frantic and labored. Every nerve stood at attention, his brain still hardly comprehending anything that was happening. But they leaned in at the same time, their bodies, or rather their very beings, naturally gravitating to one another, until Riku used his other hand to tilt Sora's chin up. Despite the cold, it spread warmth down the brunet's neck and his spine, causing the smallest gasp to escape his mouth.

Riku hesitated, maybe at the sound, but Sora closed the distance, the thought of stopping _now,_ **agonizing**. Their lips met in what Sora could only describe as physical fireworks. Riku's lips were so soft, so warm, so sweet, and really everything Sora thought a first kiss would be like. He didn't know when he closed his eyes. When the warmth reached his toes, as if he were slowly filling with liquid gold, Sora drew closer, earning the encouragement of Riku's arm around his waist, holding him there. Sora thought he made a noise, because Riku hummed back, and briefly he wondered if maybe he'd actually died in their last battle and this was Kingdom Hearts. Sora gripped Riku's shoulder, the dark, firm fabric there refusing to yield. Sora wished he could never let go.

They pulled away when Sora's lungs begged him for air, his inexperience causing him to forget his nose could service him. They both were a little out of breath, and Sora's thoughts began again as a revved engine. "So, wait, what does this mean? You like me too? Or was the mistletoe there the whole time?"

"Both," Riku said simply, eyes sparkling like the fireworks that Sora felt. He let that sink in, etching it into his very heart. His smile became a permanent fixture on his face. Riku was still holding him there, his arm hooked in the dip of his lower back.

Then it hit him. "So you let us stand under it this _whole time_ without telling me? Riku," Sora exclaimed, still blushing. His lips tingled pleasantly, preventing his tone from being anything but soft and affectionate.

"You were _confessing_ , I didn't want to interrupt," the silveret retorted, his smile so wide and wonderful and Sora already wanted to kiss him _again_.

So this was bliss. "You're the worst," Sora replied, hiding his smile into Riku's chest. Sora treasured the embrace for a few moments, and Riku put a hand on his head. There was no Heartless or Nobody to split them apart tonight. No nightmares, no apocalypse. He briefly wondered what they had just become; Sora didn't think he'd get this far, and yet, the swirling snow, the mistletoe, and the magic in the air told him they could figure it out later.

"They're going to look for us soon," Riku commented, a note of regret in his voice.

"Ugh, do I really have to watch you dance with all those princesses?" Sora felt high, head light – and selfish, wanting nothing more than to remain alone together for the rest of the night, despite the impossibility.

"Is that _jealousy_ I detect?" Riku teased, and Sora looked up to glare. "That's not the Hero of Light that I know."

"That's Savior of the Universe to you," the brunet sniffed, "and it's _our_ party, why must I suffer during it? And it's Christmas," he concluded in a pout.

"You're telling me," Riku said, dipping his forehead down to rest on Sora's shoulder. "Do you know how many of those princesses told me they were happy for you and Kairi? Just guess."

Sora grimaced. "Oh," he said, connecting the pieces, "Too many. I'm sorry." He meant it. Here he was flustered over Riku getting the attention he rightfully deserved, when Sora was still the star at the top of the universe's tree, even if he didn't want to be.

He felt Riku's head tilt into his neck, and it was very, _very_ difficult to ignore the goosebumps that took over his arms. He hoped Riku didn't hear his sharp intake of breath.

"…Make it up to me?" Riku asked, standing straight again. Their eyes met again, and Sora's brain short-circuited. To his absolute _amazement_ , Riku's cheeks were splashed with a pink tint. It could be the cold, but they'd been out for awhile now. The silveret rubbed the back of his neck, looking away like he was shy. All in one moment, Sora was lightheaded again.

"What?"

He glanced back up to the mistletoe, and Sora's knees were jelly. "Y-you don't need mistletoe as an excuse," Sora finally said.

"Then it's official, I'm in the dream realm." His smile was goofy, matching Sora's perfectly.

"Just kiss me already." And Riku did, dipping back down with zero hesitation. The brunet knew then that this was the start of an insatiable addiction.

They didn't hear the door open. " _There_ you guys are! How many times do I have to look for yo–!"

They broke away with a soft smacking sound, and turned bashfully towards Kairi. She giggled, inching the door closer to closed behind her, "Oh, uhm, sorry."

Riku spoke first. "We were just headed back, sorry." Sora was amazed at how calm his voice was.

"Yeah, looked like it," Kairi teased skeptically. She winked at Sora, and he grinned wide in reply. "C'mon, though, everyone wants to open the presents under their world tree!"

"Oh, right… Riku, you had a present under the tree, too!" Sora realized excitedly, turning partially back. He grabbed Riku's hands in the excitement.

"Wouldn't want to miss _that_ ," Riku replied sarcastically, and the two laughed. Sora began to tug them forward and Kairi opened the door for them. As they passed through, she muttered to Riku, "Thank you, Lea and Roxas owe me munny now."

He snorted, gripping Sora's hand tighter. "Thank him, not me."

Her grin was like a cat that caught prey. "Even better."

* * *

Kairi, now clad in a simple black t-shirt, her cat-eared training jacket, and sweatpants, was mesmerized with her wrist – or rather, Santa's present she placed on the delicate joint. Sora sat cross-legged on his bed in Merlin's Tower, similarly dressed save one item – his Halloween Santa Hat resting over half his chocolate-covered spikes, part of his gift from Santa – considering the Princess of Heart turned keyblade master.

"D'you think you'll go home to the islands with us?" Sora asked. The bracelet Kairi kept staring at was a gold bangle with ruby gems of various sizes around the band. The brunet hadn't gotten a chance to ask why that was Santa's gift to her, but he had a hunch.

"I-I haven't decided," Kairi admitted, "I think I need to travel to Radiant Garden – figure out my past there, you know? Like, why did I end up in Destiny Islands? Do I still have family there? I have memories there, I know it." She lifted her wrist up again, now showing the bracelet more than admiring.

"I think this was my grandmas," Kairi added softly.

Whether it was because of Kairi's year spent in his heart, or because as a Princess of Heart her very emotions irradiated from her, the brunet acutely felt Kairi's wonder and pain – and he could relate, having so many questions with answers so close yet so far away. The debt of not knowing, both fuel and a rot pushing him forward. Sora nodded, still smiling despite the seed of sadness settling at the bottom of his heart. "You should go, Kai. You deserve to know. Do you want Riku and me to go? We could help."

Roxas interjected, arms crossed defensively as he sat next to Sora, "Well, make up your mind quick, because Lea and me are following you guys." Then he amended, softer, "Y-you guys are our family now, basically, so I'd like us to stick together."

Sora shared the sentiment. He was still recovering from the eerie, deafening silence in his heart now that all lingering others had departed. Being near Roxas and Ventus was still a sharp want through his very being.

Kairi shook her head. "You miss home, right? I don't want to keep you guys away even longer."

Sora waved his hand. "It won't be for that long. Besides, Skuld taught me how to Light travel. We can go home anytime."

Both Roxas and Kairi's eyes lit up. "Wait, really?! She taught you? Can you teach us?" Kairi gasped, grabbing Sora's hands. Her complete reversal in attitude was startling, but not unexpected.

Sora laughed, cheeks pink from the amazed stare the two sent him. "Y-you can ask her to, she wants to teach everyone the powers of the Foretellers."

"That is so _cool_!" Kairi cried, and Roxas nodded, a childish grin on his face, too. Her awe was infectious, and Sora had to agree; though it seemed like their journey was over, there was so much they still had to learn. He wondered how much Riku had learned already.

Sora stared at the bedroom door, cracked open to an empty hallway in view. "They sure are taking their time," he commented.

Roxas snickered, "Says the guy that took like, twenty minutes to shower."

"I was cold!" Sora protested.

Kairi giggled, shaking her head. "And I thought I was bad. Aqua took only ten minutes. I don't get it."

The blond shrugged, "Maybe she used time magic. Anyway, I'm sure they'll be out soon. And then I'm going straight to bed."

Kairi nodded, yawning instinctually, "I'm just about ready to fall over."

"Need'a plug Kairi into her Light socket? Recharge?"

The three looked over to Lea entering the room, towel draped over his shoulders casually. Despite the cold, he was wearing a tank and shorts. Roxas shook his head, frowning. "Not funny."

"I thought it was pretty funny…"

Riku followed behind silently, hair still buoyant despite the dampness leftover from the shower. He walked over and stood next to Kairi. Sora smiled at him, willing his cheeks not to flush, and he smiled back, a soft quirk of lips that reflected the equal excitement and contentment.

"Ventus hit the hay, said thanks for the extra bed," Riku finally said, referring to the second and long-time unused bed that was in the room, relocated to accommodate Master Yen Sid's great influx of new guests.

"Cool," Sora simply replied, yawning after seeing Kairi yawn for the second time out of the corner of his eye. He had hoped to catch Ven so he could ask where his compass was pointing now that he was reunited with everyone – which was a long list of old and new friends, even for Sora – but he could wait. Kairi came first.

"Mm, Sora was saying we could head to Radiant Garden after this," Kairi mentioned, leaning on Riku in a limp side hug. With fascination, the brunet noticed that the tightness in his chest, spurred by jealousy, didn't appear even as Riku chuckled, letting her weight settle against his side.

"Why's that?" Riku said, voice light and unconcerned.

"Kairi wants to remember her time there. She's technically the Princess of Heart of _that_ world, after all," Sora added. "She wanted to go alone, but I figured we could help."

"It's not that I wanted to go alone…" the redhead protested weakly, voice trailing as she was having a hard time staying awake. Riku shifted so he could keep her steady easier, and the two boys of the island trio glanced at each other again, taking equal pride in their ability to care for Kairi. Even though she no longer needed it, it was nice to be trusted.

"Y'know Leon and the others will probably need some help rebuilding anyway," Riku added. Sora nodded, remembering – he wouldn't mind a visit to the 100 Acre Wood, either.

"Where would we stay?" Lea interjected, finger tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Last time I was there, they had like, one shack."

"Dunno. I think the first objective would be to reclaim the castle, so Kairi could begin her search anyway." Riku, always the strategist, already had a plan, and Sora hadn't ever felt safer.

"So what you're saying is, they needed us anyway," Roxas said, lips a thin line.

"Just extra training, Roxy," the ex-Nobody said, smile thirsty for the fight, "and we could finally do it together."

The blond sighed, his exhaustion showing through in his drooping shoulders. "Yeah, true. Well, we're in, Sora, if you are."

The brunet nodded, smiling gratefully at his friends. Though it was for Kairi, it meant a lot to him that they would lend their strength, when they could hang up their blades and go "home" instead. "Sure, we'll go after Christmas, and when we tell Master Yen Sid and the others."

"Yeah, I wanna learn how to Light travel…" Kairi tiredly said.

Riku snorted. "Well, you _need_ sleep. How long are you going to make me hold you up?"

"Carry me to bed~" she demanded childishly, but lifted herself to stand up straight. She giggled at her joke, and Sora shook his head at her. "I'm off," she said, lazily heading for the door. "G'night everyone, Merry Christmas!"

Lea smiled at the fellow redhead, waving. "Merry Christmas! Don't fall asleep in the hallway again."

"I don't know what you're talking about~" she sang back.

"We're off, too," Roxas said, rolling his eyes, "Night Sora."

"Night, Merry Christmas!" Sora waved as the three left their room. The door was closed with a soft click, and Sora threw a small fireball at a candle on the nightstand for light. Within seconds he could hear Roxas and Lea arguing down the hall, then Kairi's definitive " _shhhh!_ " Riku must have heard too, because he laughed with a shake of his head.

Sora groaned tiredly when it was finally quiet. "I didn't think parties could be so exhausting," Sora said, flinging himself back to lay across the bed, still on top of the sheets.

"Yeah," Riku agreed, his voice light in the way he did whenever he was listening.

"I wonder what Master Yen Sid will do for Christmas – or wait, what if he doesn't celebrate? Will he make us train?" Sora hypothesized, frowning at the ceiling. Riku sat on the bed next to him, leaning against the wall with an arm casually thrown across his knee.

"If he does, we'll just say its against our religion," Riku countered, grinning mischievously.

"We can't _lie_ to him, Riku, we'd get in so much trouble!" Sora turned slightly so he could scowl at the silveret, who wasn't discouraged.

"Us? In trouble? _No, never_ ," he replied, voice dripping in sarcasm. "We're saviors of the universe, remember?" He looked so fondly when he said it, Sora blushed unwittingly.

"Y-yeah." Sora sat up quickly and busied himself with trying to slip under the covers. Once he was laying down again on his side, he lifted the blanket and asked, "Coming?"

It was not the first time the question had been uttered for this purpose, and yet Riku's amused stare, his nod, and the so very _normal_ way he laid on his side to face Sora reminded him; everything was _different_ now. Sora's face bloomed cherry red, hyper-aware that Riku's lips were only a few inches away, their breath lingering together like when they had first kissed earlier that same night.

Really, Sora's heart was not prepared.

Riku smiled so _knowingly_ , like he was _waiting_ for this exact moment; it was like he always did, waiting for Sora to realize and then, whenever he did, tease Sora relentlessly for the fact he didn't notice off the bat. But the teasing never came, just that heart-wrenching, growing grin. Sora decided this was worse, because now Riku was relishing in it.

"S-stop looking at me like that!" Sora pleaded, covering his face with his hands. God, how many times had he gone to sleep next to Riku, wishing, fantasizing that they could sleep side-by-side _together_ like this? How many times had he nearly blurted it out laying in this very spot? And now they were here, and Sora had no idea what to do.

"Why?" Riku asked, his hand so warm when it grabbed Sora's wrist, softly tugging the hand away from his face. Sora let him do it, but kept his lips pursed defensively.

"You _know_ why," Sora groaned. "I can't believe they let us sleep together."

Riku chuckled at him. "It's not any different than before," he argued, his hand on top of Sora's in between them. Just that alone made Sora want to argue the point, but how many mornings had they woken up, limbs entangled, Sora curled into Riku's chest, or Riku's arm thrown over him, pulling him in regardless?

"It's not?" Sora's voice was unsure, and the brunet realized maybe he wanted it to be different, though in what way he had no clue.

"It's only as different as you want it to be," Riku said, comfortingly, but then his grin turned wolfish, "though…"

"Though what?" Sora couldn't ever keep his curiosity to himself. Riku probably knew that, too. As if reading his mind, Riku pulled Sora in toward his chest, his arm finding the small of Sora's back. It sent a shiver up Sora's spine, but he bit back the gasp. His body naturally yielded to the position, their knees bumping together as he curled his arms into the space between them. Riku was so warm.

"Since we wake up like this anyway," Riku said simply, but he sounded content.

For some reason, that made Sora brave. He slipped his calf in-between Riku's, entangling their limbs much more comfortably – but definitely new. The brunet giggled, "Now it's different."

Riku placed a chaste kiss on Sora's forehead and he blushed again. He wondered if he'd ever get used to this. "Dangerously different," Riku mumbled into his hair. Sora shrugged, cuddling closer with a self-satisfied smile.

"I-I guess we're spending Christmas together after all, huh?"

"Yeah," Riku agreed, his smile expressed with a sigh. "And Santa's real."

"I _told_ you," Sora chided, "I had to wait a whole year to get back on the Nice List."

Riku chuckled, his thumb passing softly over a patch of Sora's back. "Sorry, sorry, my bad. But why is your costume black? Not very Christmas-y."

"Oh," Sora said, yawning as his body naturally began to relax, like he was always meant to sleep here, in Riku's arms, "That's 'cause I got to Christmas Town through Halloween Town. It was like… part of the disguise."

"Hmm," Riku hummed, "hence the mask. And the fangs."

Sora tilted his head up, and Riku met his gaze automatically. "You saw it once for like two minutes and you sure noticed a lot," Sora said, eyes narrowed.

The reaction was immediate; the silveret blushed, shifting his gaze to the side bashfully. "It was… cute," was his explanation.

 _Whaaaaaaat?_ Sora inwardly screamed. His joy was a physical infection that reached every vein in his body, and Sora beamed, waiting for Riku to look back at him. "Then, let's go to Halloween Town – after we help Kairi! I bet you'll get a cool outfit, too!"

The silveret sighed, "We'll never get home at this rate."

Sora hesitated. "Aww, well… we can skip Halloween Town, then. Though you should really meet Santa again, so you get put on the Nice List." He was a little disappointed, but he told himself the entire idea was probably juvenile anyway.

But Riku shook his head, closing his eyes with a small smile. "I don't really care when we return to the islands, honestly. Home is wherever you are, so… we can go–"

Sora silenced him with another kiss, unable to contain himself a moment longer. _Who just_ _ **says**_ _stuff like that?_ Sora thought, smiling into their touching lips. Riku was surprised enough that he kissed back just as Sora began pulling away. He giggled, tapping his lips with his index finger, still fascinated with the warm, tingling sensation that Riku's lips seemed to leave.

"I–" Sora started, "I feel the same way. We'll just play it by ear."

Riku nodded, still looking a little starstruck.

"We should really go to bed, Riku."

His name brought him back to earth. He smiled, bumping foreheads with Sora. "Yeah, I bet the others won't let us sleep in."

The brunet groaned, "Ugh, lame."

Riku settled in a little more, bringing the blanket over his shoulders which almost covered Sora completely. Sora squirmed back into his comfortable, settled pose, and pulled his Moogle plush that was hanging out behind him to his front. He thought he heard Riku chuckle, but couldn't be sure.

"G'night, Sora," he said, and sent a small ice spike to put out the candle.

"Night, Riku," Sora replied, falling asleep with the thought that this was like a Christmas gift. He and Riku were the same as always, but the gift was that there was no more hiding – and the promise of many future Christmases, together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks so much to AmbitiousSkychild for pre-reading, encouraging, and helping me finish this fic for the holiday season! If you haven't read her stuff, you really should (its on Ao3).

I started this fic days before Christmas, thinking it would be a 3k little thing, and well, here we are. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!

Be my friend? My tumblr is KaiserinAstraia :)


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